


The Reveal That Didn't

by SKayLanphear



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Identity Reveal, Misunderstandings, Reveal, Romance, that goes badly, these kids really need to communicate better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9321251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKayLanphear/pseuds/SKayLanphear
Summary: When Marinette accidentally sees Chat Noir detransform into Adrien, she decides that it's only fair to tell him the truth--both about what she'd learned and her own identity. Unfortunately, actually telling him ends up being more difficult than she'd anticipated, her staggering, disjointed words leading to a misunderstanding that puts them both in hot water. Especially when Chloe decides to tell the whole class what she overheard.Inspired by a tumblr post by kittybug.





	1. Part 1

It'd taken her sometime to warm up to the idea. But after having an entire night to think it over, Chat Noir and Adrien being the same person made more sense than she'd initially rationalized was possible. Staying up and staring at the pictures posted all over her walls, before ultimately taking them down in shame of her behavior toward Chat, she finally accepted that, maybe, the two boys were actually one and the same—that she'd accidentally spied him de-transforming irrelevant.

Now it was just a matter of addressing the situation. At first, she'd thought, well, maybe she shouldn't say anything at all. But that hardly seemed right. Rather, it made her feel dirty and dishonest. She had total and complete faith that if Chat had accidentally discovered her identity, he'd admit to as much as soon as was viable. They were partners—best friends—and she wouldn't betray him. Even if it meant breaking one of her own self-inflicted rules.

Besides, it wasn't safe. Best case scenario was that neither of them knew, but if one of them did and that person was, say, akumatized, they had a better chance fighting such a horrible development if they could see it coming. She was putting him in more danger at that point, not being honest and not giving him forewarning so he could properly defend himself.

As usual, they were stronger together.

Taking a deep breath, and fidgeting with the pink scarf wrapped around her neck, Marinette peered passed the throngs of students gathered together before school. With the holidays so close, everyone was in high spirits, which only seemed to contrast all the more with her nerves. Still, she had to push forward. For Adrien.

For Chat.

She could see him, Nino, and Alya chatting over by the stairs, all of them still swathed in their winter coats. Nino looked to be telling some kind of elaborate anecdote, arms waving, while Alya laughed boisterously and Adrien grinned in that small, shy way she'd always adored. Yet, in a way, her recent discovery only made the expression melt Marinette's heart even more. It meant that Chat was comfortable around her, that he was open, even if Adrien was too shy or insecure to be.

She wanted him to know "Marinette" was safe too. She wanted to close the gap between them. It was a feeling she hadn't anticipated, was she being totally honest. Yet the longer she stared, the harder her heart pounded.

That was her kitty. The boy she loved and that she could barely get out a coherent sentence around, that was _him_. He was _hers_.

And she'd always been his.

"H-Hey guys," she stammered out as she approached, cursing her own inability to speak. This was _Chat_! He'd never let her live it down if he found out the reason for her anxiety around him.

"Hey, Marinette!" Nino greeted jovially. Alya, meanwhile, winked and nodded inconspicuously in Adrien's direction, which only had Marinette blushing.

"Hello, Marinette," Adrien said with his typical degree of collected softness. Such a contrast to Chat, yet, somehow, it made total sense. Being Ladybug allowed Marinette to do what she couldn't otherwise, while Chat gave Adrien the outlet to be more than Gabriel Agreste's perfect son.

Or so she assumed.

"Um…" she looked between them, Nino faltering where he'd no doubt been about to continue with his story. "I-I was wondering if… if I could alone to you talk- I MEAN! Talk- talk to you alone. For a minute."

Alya's eyes went wide, while Nino and Adrien cast her curious looks.

"Talk to who?" Nino asked.

"UH!" Shoot! How was she messing this up already?! This was _Chat_ for crying out loud! "Adrien! I meant… I meant Adrien."

Which visibly surprised them all, Alya going so far as to gape in shock.

Adrien, of course, recovered quickly. "Sure, Marinette," he replied, smiling. "You said alone?"

How much worse it sounded when he said it.

"Y-Yeah," she managed to get out, despite how red her face was (probably nearly as red as her suit).

Pause.

"You want to go outside?" he asked.

Right! A place! To be alone! "Yes!" she practically shouted, before slamming her hand over her mouth.

"Alright." Still smiling, Adrien stepped forward and, reaching out, set a gentle hand on her shoulder before gesturing toward the door. Hunched up in herself, Marinette caught his closed off, relatively guarded—if not kind—gaze before forcefully turning and pulling away.

She wanted to see the openness of Chat looking back at her. He needed to know.

Pushing her way through the other students, she trusted that Adrien trailed her without looking back. It wasn't until she was outside and breathing in the chilly winter air that she calmed a bit. But it wasn't enough to bring her composure together completely.

Going down the stairs and a bit off to the side, she glanced around to solidify that no one was within hearing range before she turned.

Adrien stood there, looking only slightly curious as he shoved his his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Um…" Wringing her own hands together, Marinette tried to figure out how to start. She should have rehearsed this. She'd told herself that, if Adrien was Chat, all she had to do was approach him like Ladybug. But it was so much harder when he didn't already know. When she was just Marinette and he was, seemingly, just Adrien. There wasn't the familiar comradery between them. Not then.

"I have something- something I want to tell you," she finally managed to get out, the words coming faster now that she could actually find them. Too faster, perhaps. "I few things actually."

Which only perplexed Adrien further.

"Um, last night, after- Well, it was an accident, really. This whole thing. Not- Not all of it. Not my feelings- but that I- Wait! Feelings! Not that my feelings matter," she laughed a bit, but it didn't do any good in making her feel better. "You just went in the wrong direction and I saw you, so it's not your fault. It's my fault, I guess. I should have closed my eyes. But I was so shocked! And then I was up all night thinking about you because, well because you're _you_ and I'm _me_ and we're… each other." This was not going well. "What I mean to say is- is that I like both of you. Not both as in two people—I only like _you_."

"Uh… well…" Adrien sounded confused. "I like you too, Marinette. You're a really cool person."

"Not like that!" she clarified quickly, uncertain if it was the cold or the snow that made her so numb to the words spilling out of her mouth. "I meant that I _like_ like you. I'm not obsessed with you or anything—I don't have posters of you in my room or anything." She added a scoff for good measure. "But, um, like, I really like you, and, yeah, that's…" That was not what she'd meant to say first, actually.

What was even happening?

Adrien looked surprised, lips parting as he blinked. Before—with Adrien-typical grace—he recovered. "Wow, Marinette. That's… I'm flattered."

"I know." Wait, had she said that out loud? **Stupid**!

"You…?" Adrien furrowed his brows, before shaking his head and continuing. "You're a really awesome person, Marinette. And I think you're a great friend. But… I don't… feel the same way…"

"Wait, what?" She hadn't meat to sound so taken aback, or to curl her nose the way she had. But that had _not_ been the reaction she'd expected. In fact, it was so surprising that the "rejection" was hardly taking root. Almost as though she refused to believe it.

"Like I said, you're awesome, but…" Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "I kind of like somebody else, so…" His own cheeks flushed some as his gaze detoured to the side.

"Who?!" Marinette asked a little too loudly.

"Uh…" Adrien appeared all the more uncomfortable, which made sense, really, despite Marinette's inability to comprehend as much in the moment. Slowly, her thoughts were catching up with her words. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I can't believe _this_!" she rebuked hotly, hands balling at her sides. "After everything you've said and you- Was it all just a game to you?!" The hurt, it was beginning to seep through.

"Wait, what?" Adrien took a defensive step back. "What have I said? Marinette, if I've said anything to make you think I… had romantic feelings for you, I'm sorry. I never intended to make you think that."

She gaped for a few seconds. "Well, I pity the girl you actually like after all the flirting you've done with me!"

"What?!" His voice had risen some, offense dropping across his own expression. "I haven't flirted with you! When have I ever flirted with you?!"

"You flirt with me all the time!"

"There's only one girl I flirt with!" He held up a single finger. "And, while I'm sorry I can't return your feelings, I know for certain it's not you!"

"Who's the other girl?!"

"Why do you care?!"

"Because I want to know!"

"No offense, but I don't think that's any of your business." He actually had the gall to roll his eyes, some of that perfect Adrien mask flaking away.

"You owe me an explanation. Don't act like you don't!"

"I don't owe you anything! Let alone an explanation for my feelings for Ladybug!"

No, he hadn't intended to say the name, the way his mouth tightened giving as much away. But it was probably a good thing he had, or so Marinette decided. His statement caused her pause, mouth open pre-argument as she held up a scolding finger. Really, yelling at him had been all that was keeping her heartbreak at bay. But his words had doused everything inside her with a bucket of ice water, leaving her floundering as her thoughts crisscrossed so tightly that she couldn't understand a single one of them.

It wasn't until Adrien—pulling himself together faster than she had—cast her a rather dubious look, that she yanked herself forcefully together.

"Wait," she started calmly, realizing all too late how badly she'd screwed up. "I didn't… I didn't actually tell you, did I?"

His silence, and betrayal that was turning all too quickly to suspicion, said more than enough.

"I'm not Marinette. I mean, I _am_! I'm _me_!" JUST SPIT IT OUT! "But I'm also-" she laid a hand flat on her own chest, "I'm also _Ladybug_."

Laughing nervously, she waited. And did not anticipate that Adrien's striking confusion would be shortly followed by a cascade of suspicion. And more betrayal. And, if only to make it worse, disappointment.

"Really, Marinette?" he asked, tone subdued.

"Yes." She nodded firmly.

"That's what you're going with?" he asked. "You're really going there?"

Wait, what?

"Look, you're a really cool girl and I do like you as a friend, but… I don't appreciate you lying to me. Do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?"

"Fall for… Adrien, I don't think you're stupid." What was he talking about?

"Then why are you acting like this?" he asked. "I thought you were different. I didn't think you were like all those other girls who'd just… say whatever they could to- to get my attention. I thought you were my _friend_."

"Adrien, I am your friend."

"Then why are you lying to my face?"

She was lying? Why did he think that? Oh god, how had she screwed this up so badly? And, more importantly, how did she fix it?

"I don't know what's going on with you right now," he continued, taking yet another step back, "but please stop. You're… making me really uncomfortable."

Looking her over for only a second longer, he never lost the suspicious or betrayed hurt in his gaze. Not even as he turned away.

Reaching out, Marinette tried to call to him, but no words came. Instead, she stood helplessly as he walked away. Up the stairs, through the doors, and out of sight.

He left her vulnerable and cold beneath the slowly drifting snow.


	2. Part 2

While his conversation with Marinette had been surreal, and unexpected, Adrien wasn't the type to hold a grudge. He didn't agree with Marinette's behavior—and was actually rather hurt over the whole thing—but she'd been a good person to him previously and so he'd be more than willing to forgive her if she apologized. People did all kinds of crazy things when they liked another person, he knew that perfectly well. He couldn't return Marinette's feelings, but he could understand why she'd be inspired to lie. He'd done the same thing once, hadn't he? And that had created an akuma, which was probably the worst possible outcome.

Nobody was perfect, he knew that. He wasn't mad—he never held on to anger very long.

But apparently his forgiving nature wasn't shared by everyone.

"Well, well, look who it is." Chloe's voice carried across the classroom, drawing Adrien's attention from his phone to her, before his gaze darted to the door. Where, books in hand, Marinette stood. She didn't spare him a look, instead putting her entire focus on Chloe while her lips pulled into a frown.

"What is it now, Chloe?" she droned in exasperation, walking fully into the classroom. Adrien was pretty sure she was actively avoiding eye contact with him, but perhaps that was only expected.

"Don't act so innocent," Chloe reprimanded, putting her hands on her hips. "I heard you talking to Adrien a few minutes ago."

Much like the color in Marinette's face, Adrien could feel his cheeks draining.

"What?" Marinette whispered.

"As if I wouldn't listen in if you were dragging Adrikins off for some secret conversation. And a good thing I did too. Some student body president you are, telling lies left and right."

"Chlo…" Adrien said softly, his hands tightening around his phone.

He was ignored.

"I can't believe you'd sink so low as to tell Adrien you were _Ladybug_ just to get his attention." Chloe glared, appearing honestly disgusted. "As if anyone would ever believe _that_. Ladybug is a hero—how dare you impersonate her for something as low as your pathetic crush. She does so much for Paris and you'd use her like that? And lie to Adrien on top of it all?

"You should have just accepted that he'd never be interested in someone like you, instead of spinning some impossible lie."

"Chloe!" Adrien was on his feet, his loud scolding causing Chloe to jump before she looked his way. He didn't bother taking in her surprise, however. He flicked his attention immediately to Marinette, who he expected to see looking hurt or humiliated.

He hadn't anticipated the hardened glare that was turned in his direction and which sufficiently silenced any words of comfort he'd been on the verge of saying.

Everyone else in the room was quiet, watching the silent exchange in bated breath.

Marinette never did say anything. Instead, her glare eventually turned cold, all her typical warmth evaporating. With the exception of her eyes, which were filled with so much betrayal that Adrien could hardly comprehend why it was directed at him. But it was heavy enough to shrink his posture and sharp enough to cause discomfort across his chest.

Sparing no one else a look but him, she eventually turned on her heel and marched right back out of the room. It was only once she was fully out of sight that the class snapped back to reality, Adrien startling himself as he quickly dashed out from behind his table.

"Marinette!" he called, casting Chloe one more disapproving look before sprinting out the door.

Looking up and down the hall, he just barely caught sight of Marinette's pink shoe as she vanished into the library.

"Marinette!" he called again, jogging after her. This close to class time there was hardly anyone else around, leaving him a direct route as he pushed through the library doors after her.

Skidding to a halt, he was conscious of being quiet as he peered around. But Marinette was nowhere in sight. He began to walk up and down the aisles, whispering her name. He looked in corners, under tables. He went to the upper level and checked all the possible hiding spots there. It wasn't until he'd looked the room over twice that he finally paused by the upper balcony, feeling terrible and cruel despite the fact that he hadn't been the one to out her behavior.

"Can't we go to class now?" Plagg whispered, floating up on his shoulder. "It's freezing in here." The little kwami shivered while Adrien pursed his lips and prepared an objection.

But Plagg was right, it was cold. Unusually cold.

Glancing up, Adrien easily located the reason. One of the high windows—usually inaccessible—was propped open. Even during the summer such windows had never even been cracked. Not that Adrien had noticed anyway.

So why would it be left open in the winter, especially when the heat in the school wasn't that great to begin with?

It was strange. And left Adrien with a heavy feeling in his stomach as he put his attention back on Plagg.

"We'll check the whole library one last time," he decided. "Then we'll head back, alright?"

Sighing, Plagg vanished inside his shirt, while Adrien spared the window one final look before beginning his last search.

He never found Marinette and ended up in trouble for being late. Which was fine. But the seat behind him remained empty for the rest of the day. Not even Alya could update them, explaining that none of her texts were ever read, let alone returned.

It made Adrien worried. By the end of the day, he was practically twitching in concern. Marinette had been so quiet, and disappeared so quickly. He couldn't imagine how humiliated she'd been. And hurt.

A lot like Lila had been actually, once upon a time. And that had resulted in an akuma.

Was that how Marinette had managed to get away so efficiently? Had she been akumatized? The situation seemed like the perfect opportunity for Hawkmoth, who wasn't known for wasting any time.

More concerned than ever, Adrien went home and was bounding out his window as Chat Noir as soon as he safely could. He raced first to Marinette's house and spied in through her windows, but she wasn't there. She wasn't with her parents either, who didn't seem the least bit perturbed that she wasn't home. Perhaps—like their teacher—they were used to her being late.

Which was no help to Chat.

Heart racing, he vaulted back up onto the rooftops and pondered where else he could look for her. He just wanted to make sure she was alright. In a way, he felt responsible for the whole situation.

Well, two sets of eyes were better than one, weren't they?

Pulling up his baton, he pressed the call button for Ladybug and waited. When it didn't immediately go to voicemail and instead rang, he knew she was transformed. But she never picked up. He called her three times and was ignored continually.

Frustrated, Chat gave up calling and instead initiated his tracker. Like she could him, he could locate her via map if he had to.

The Ladybug symbol on his little screen blinked close by. She wasn't far.

Easily jumping from snowy rooftop to rooftop, he was soon looking down at her from a chimney. She too was on a roof, red suit standing out against the snow as she…

Was she throwing snowballs? It looked like she was throwing snowballs across the gap between rooftops.

Curious, but still wanting help, Chat launched himself down onto the roof beside her. She was just bending up, forming a snowball in her hands, when she heard him touch down. She turned swiftly, frowning as she did.

Behind her was a giant billboard of his, Adrien's, latest photoshoot, his face spotted with snowball remains.

"Uh…" Easily registering that she was angry, Chat looked between her and the billboard for a moment, before daring to find actual words. "Are you okay, My Lady?"

"I'm not your lady," she said, tone so chilly that it rivaled the snow. Surprised, Chat struggled to find a response, but was soon distracted when she circled her arm back and, too swiftly for him to avoid, chucked a snowball right at him.

Arms coming up instinctively, he barely managed to block the blow with his forearm, the snow splattering as it hit.

Just in time for another one to hit him right in the stomach.

With his suit, the hits didn't hurt, but that didn't change the fact that Ladybug was aggressively _throwing snowballs_ at him. Over and over again, until he was backing up and covering his face for safety.

"Ladybug!" he managed to shout. "Would you-" Another one hit him in the thigh. "Would you _stop_!"

Was everyone going crazy today?!

"You're," snowball, "such," another snowball, "a" yet another, "jerk!"

"Okay, fine!" he agreed easily enough, hands still raised defensively. "You're right, I'm a jerk! I'm sorry!" He didn't know what he'd done wrong, but was more than willing to apologize for it. Really, he felt horrible after the "Marinette Incident," and so was willing to apologize for just about anything—whether he was at fault or not.

Apparently pacified by his unconditional apology, Ladybug stopped her assault, Chat daring to look up a second later. She was breathing hard, jaw tight and a fragile kind of redness bordering the insides of her eyes.

She really was upset…

"What do you want?" she asked a second later, voice still harsh enough to cause Chat to flinch. "We don't have patrol today."

"I-I know…" he said. "I was just… What's going on, Ladybug? What did I do?"

"It doesn't matter. Now answer the question—what do you want?"

Blinking, Chat was torn between continuing to investigate and leaving the situation alone. Ladybug had never been mad at him before, not like this. And, to be honest, he didn't know what to do—whether he should continue pressing her for answers or move on.

"I really don't have time for this," she said a second later, sounding even more impatient. "So either tell me what you want or leave. I don't want to see you right now."

Words that were like a blade impaling itself through his heart.

"Ladybug…"

"What do you _want_ , Chat?!"

He swallowed hard, feeling all the more helpless. "I was just… gonna ask for your help…"

Every word she said snapped at him like rubber bands. "With what?"

"With- I-" Why was she _mad_ at him? What had he done? "There- There's this girl I go to school with, and- and she- she was upset and didn't come to class. And I was worried that maybe she was akumatized, so I was looking for her, but I can't find her and-" he was rambling, too uncertain to do anything else. "And I thought that, together, we could-"

"Don't worry about her, she's fine," Ladybug replied dismissively, waving a hand as she turned to walk away.

"How do you know that?" Chat asked, daring to trail after her.

"Because she wasn't lying to you, that's why," she reasoned, stepping up onto the ledge of the roof.

Chat's heart hiccupped in his chest. "Wait, what?"

"Go home, Adrien," Ladybug said simply. "And leave me alone." Tossing out her yoyo, she jumped from the roof and swung away.

While Chat—clawed hand outstretched—watched her disappear once more, but this time the reality of the situation was sinking down on him completely.

Sinking so heavily that he thought he might drown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As things go from bad to worse, eh?


	3. Part 3

It was strange, how shock tended to stop time. Especially the kind of shock that happened quickly. That struck the whole system and left a person unable to so much as compute why, exactly, they were frozen in place. And, inevitably—when they finally realized what had cast them in a state of immobility—it'd be too late.

Or so the movies would lead one to believe.

Chat, however, didn't know any better. Once his shock settled and his thoughts were flowing again, he wasn't overcome with his errors to the point of hopelessness. Instead, he was assaulted by panic, which quickly flared into a desperation to make things right.

"Oh shit," he murmured, staring blankly out over the rooftop at the billboard where snowball remnants were slowly slipping down the giant photo of his face. "Oh _shit_!"

Marinette hadn't been lying to him. She'd been telling the _truth_. And he'd…

He'd accused her of lying.

He'd thrown Ladybug—one of his best friends—under the bus.

Bolting forward, he leaned over the edge of the building to try and get a glimpse of Ladybug's red suit against the white, but all he could make out was the familiar Paris landscape accented by falling snow.

Swearing once more to himself, Chat pulled up his baton and flipped open the screen. His Ladybug tracker was still on, but her little red icon was gone. Which meant she'd already shed her transformation.

She was Marinette as of that moment, so he had to consider all the places she could have gone. Really, though, he didn't know her well enough to accurately predict her whereabouts. Still, it was nearing sunset on a school night.

Home. Maybe she was headed home.

Wiping the wet snow from where it'd gathered on his lashes, Chat extended his baton and vaulted himself back the way he'd originally come. Back toward the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. All the while, he kept his eyes peeled for Marinette, to the point where he nearly crashed face-first into the side of the building.

His ill-advised haste paid off, however. Just as he was about a block from the bakery, he saw her. She had her hands tucked in the pockets of her gray coat, pink pants standing out against the snow.

Without a plan, without a single idea of what he was going to say, Chat pushed himself toward her. Overshooting where she walked, he landed in front of her, nearly slipping on the snow as he did.

Surprised, she gasped. But the expression didn't last. Soon enough, her big blue eyes narrowed accusingly and her lips tightened into a frown.

"Please, Marinette, I'm sorry," Chat started as soon as he had the breath to do so.

"Oh, sure you are," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes as she dodged around him and continued on down the sidewalk. "Now that you know without a doubt that I'm not lying, I'm worth your time. How nice."

"My La-"

Whipping around, she pointed a finger up at him. " _Don't_ call me that." Spinning back, she marched on through the snow.

"Marinette." But Chat wasn't going to give up. Not on this. "I know I screwed up." He skipped ahead of her and turned, raising his hands pleadingly. "Listen, please."

She came to a violent stop. "Oh, like you listened to me?" Her hands went to her hips. "Like how you accused me of lying to your face despite how hard it was to talk to you anyway? And how you never would have apologized until _Ladybug_ came into the picture?"

"You _are_ Ladybug."

"Right. And before you knew that, I was Marinette the Liar, so desperate that she'd say anything to get your attention. What a _nice_ opinion you had of me." Once more, she tried to brush by him, but Chat reached out and grabbed her arm. Which, well, wasn't the best thing he could have done. She spun on him, scowling as she did, and Chat immediately released her, hands raised submissively as his ears drooped.

"I never thought you were a liar, Marinette," he replied.

"No, but you did think so lowly of me that you'd think I could lie to you, and in such a horrible way too. So _forgive me_ if I'm not thrilled at your sudden change of heart."

"I barely know you," he tried to defend. "Or, I mean, I didn't _realize_ I did. We hardly talk, Marinette. What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to know that I wouldn't _lie_ about something like that!"

"That's not fair!" Finally, Chat's own irritation over the whole situation was beginning to bubble up. "As far as I knew, Ladybug would never reveal herself to me seeing as you're always going on about how we have to keep our identities a secret. And the last time someone tried to tell me they were a superhero, it didn't end well!"

A reference that only made Marinette bristle, hands forming into fists at her sides. "That was how you looked at me? Like I was no better than Lila?"

"No! That's not- That's not what I'm saying!"

"Then what _are_ you saying?!"

"I'm saying it caught me off guard! And that I didn't want to be fooled again when it came to this kind of thing! How do you think I felt when I realized Lila had gotten away with lying to me and that I'd actually believed what she'd been saying? Especially when you seemed to know better the whole time?! I was just trying to be smart about it! Besides…" He stopped himself, stifling the words before they could escape.

"Besides what?"

He fought with himself, before ultimately deciding that maybe being honest was the only way. "Besides, you weren't exactly coherent. I barely understood half of what you were trying to say to me."

"I was _nervous_!" she rebuked hotly. "Sorry that revealing my identity and telling you that I had a crush on you at the same time didn't go well!"

"You don't seem nervous now."

"Of course not! You're-"

It was her turn to go quiet.

"I'm what?" he asked darkly.

"You're… You're _Chat_! That's hardly something to be nervous about!"

"Yeah. And obviously you knew I was Chat when you were talking to me this morning."

"That's different…"

"Why?"

"Because you-" She gestured him up and down. "Never mind!" Turning in a huff, she began walking off yet again.

"Oh, so it's okay for you to have half an impression of me, but I'm not allowed that?"

She was facing him again, and looked about to say something, but before she could, a car slowly rolled through the slushy street beside them, the passengers clearly staring at them. Both Marinette and Chat looked back, staying quiet until the vehicle was safely out of sight. At which point Marinette was headed off again, Chat grinding his teeth in frustration.

Darting forward, he ducked down between two garbage cans. It was hardly adequate coverage, but it'd do. Calling back his transformation, he didn't say anything as Plagg whisked into his bag. Instead, he jogged forward, catching up with Marinette within a few strides.

"Look, we're both being ridiculous." He tried to push back on his sour feelings in favor of moving forward. "Let's just try and move on and-"

"Move on?" Once more stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Marintte looked up at him. They were close now, but the air between remained cold. "How am I supposed to move on? Everyone at school thinks I'm a liar now. And it's not a lie I can deny."

Though he hadn't been the one to expose her, Adrien still felt guilt well up inside his chest. "It's not that big a deal," he reasoned. "No one is going to bother you about it."

"Chloe will," she objected. "She'll never shut up about it. And that you… That you didn't deny that the whole thing happened pretty much tells everyone else that it did." She blinked rapidly, seeming frustrated both with him as well as herself. "I can't even explain the truth to Alya. I have to go along with the whole thing. I don't have another choice!"

"That's not- That's not true." Adrien wanted to reach out, to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder, but feared the consequences of doing so. Instead, his hand hovered for only a moment before he returned it to his side. "We'll just say it was a misunderstanding—that Chloe heard wrong."

Marinette had wrapped her arms around her middle, looking smaller than Adrien had ever seen her.

"We- We'll come up with something. This whole thing, it'll… it'll blow over. You'll see." Yet, he could tell she wasn't convinced. "Everyone knows you're not that kind of person."

She looked up at him again. " _You_ thought I was capable of being that kind of person."

And though Adrien wanted to explain that away, he knew she was right, which left him with nothing of consequence to say. "I'm sorry, Marinette…"

She shook her head, straightening as she glanced to the side. "It doesn't matter," she decided coldly. "I'm going home, so… could you stop following me?"

"My Lady…"

"I just want to be left alone, Adrien." Not giving him another choice in the matter, she turned and headed away, stepping down off the sidewalk to cross the street. Adrien stared after, feeling all the more helpless the further she got from him. Like a slow motion movie, her figure gradually began to disappear behind the falling snow, which sent a chill up his entire spine.

Maybe they were both to blame for the situation, but that didn't vindicate him or make him feel any better. Marinette had been humiliated in front of their entire class in more ways than one and there was no strong defense she had to battle the situation.

To a certain degree—no matter what story they spun—she'd suffer the consequences.

He should have reacted better; she should have too.

But there was nothing to do about it.

Heavy snowflakes dropping to the ground around them, Adrien remained on the edge of the sidewalk as her gray coat began to blend in with the weather. She wasn't even that far, yet he felt as though every step she took was a stomp across his heart.

It came to him quite suddenly, the thought that, maybe, he'd never see her again. Rationally, he knew it was ridiculous. One fight, one embarrassment, wasn't enough to take down Ladybug. Nor was it enough to shred their partnership, or so he hoped.

But all that was irrelevant in the face of human vulnerability.

She wasn't transformed, she was hardly visible, and he could hear the car trying to brake atop the slushy road. The blue of the paint flashed in the corner of his eyes, the rest of his focus remaining on _her_.

Because, really, she was _everything_.

" **Marinette**!" he screamed, his feet already in motion. Slipping against the sidewalk, his shoes nearly slid out from under him, but he managed to find traction enough to dart down onto the crosswalk.

She was turning toward him, reacting instinctively to his call. Which was when she saw it too, the headlights that were getting clearer and clearer through the snow.

Arms outstretched, it was easy for Adrien to push forward. Just as it was every time he took a hit for her. That was his job, really. He was expendable.

But Marinette, well, she _mattered_. She was…

She was worth every step he took and every shield he somehow conjured up out of sheer willpower and determination.

Just as he did then, the warmth he felt as he only brushed her jacket—as he forcefully shoved her out of the way—enough of a reality check to calm his nerves.

He wasn't invincible, but it was okay.

She was there. She was alive. Somehow, that was enough.

He could hear the honking of the car horn and the splashing of slush against tires.

So he closed his eyes and imagined a streak of red against the night sky, a blue sparkle leading him safely into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hu hu, trying this idea from the other perspective, eh? ;D

**Author's Note:**

> Figured it was about time I started posting this story here *shrugs*


End file.
